Collegiettes™, I have a not-so-secret secret for you: I’m somewhat obsessed with the Brits. Ask anyone who knows me. So at least since high school, I’ve wanted to study abroad in the UK, in London, preferably.
Guess where I am now? That’s right: London. About 30 other Elon students and I arrived here last Wednesday and have officially spent a week here – I’m not counting the first day, as I had about three hours of sleep and really wasn’t a functional human being for the first day.
Going into this, I knew things would be different – the food, the culture, even the language to some extent. I was prepared for some culture shock and was actually really anticipating some of the differences, like being able to take the Tube (that’s the subway, for those of you who aren’t up on your British slang) and getting to hear the beautiful British accent every day. Not to mention being able to legally buy alcohol and drink whenever I so desired.
So the big things didn’t faze me. But the small ones?
Oh, yeah. It’s walking on the wrong side because not only do they drive opposite, but they walk on the opposite sides too. So make sure you keep to the left, not the right. It’s trying to hit the “shift” button on the keyboard but hitting the little button that’s supposed to be up by the one, the button with the squiggle. It’s the peanut butter that tastes, and even feels, completely different. And it’s even going into McDonald’s and seeing seating for over 200 – most of which is full.
And the McDonald’s are actually nice inside. Much nicer than the ones in the U.S., even though they’ve been renovating them.
But despite the differences, and despite the fact that it’s freezing cold here and most of my friends are posting about the beautiful weather in North Carolina, I’m having a blast. Unlike Elon, London has so many things to do, although almost everything closes strangely early. I’m planning my trips to Paris, to Dublin, to everywhere I can possibly go. And despite the exchange rate, which isn’t in my favor, I’m planning on some serious shopping – hello Top Shop, Zara’s and H&M.
So it’s different and I’m still adjusting. I’m sure I’ll miss home on occasion, especially when eating the weird peanut butter or drinking my water without ice. But I can already tell it’s going to be one of the best experiences of my life.